740.0011 European War 1939/17923: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Thurston) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 27—11:33 a.m.]
19. Sir Stafford Cripps informed me this morning that he has resigned his post as Ambassador and plans to return to England. I inferred that he contemplates reentering political life there.
With respect to Japan, Cripps expressed the opinion that the Soviet Union is not now in a position to engage Japan successfully and that by entering the war in the Pacific it would weaken the effort against Germany. He added however that he believes that Russia will be at war with Japan within 3 months and implied that the Soviet Government both expects and desires that hostilities shall be initiated by the Japanese.